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This blog was created to showcase the works of artists around the world who paint primarily with the palette knife.

Calling all Palette Knife Painters

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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous."-Ingrid Bergman

Just helpin' you get ready for Valentine's Day. Another sweet one from 'the vault'. Back to 2008 prices and free shipping until Valentines, just to give you a helping hand in saying the very thing you want to tell your loved one! It's dry and ready to ship!

I finally made it to the doctor yesterday and got some antibiotics that will hopefully clear up my sinus issues. My 3 week cold is gone, but my right sinuses are totally plugged and causing me issues, such as constant headaches..

Here are couple of small pear paintings that will be hanging at the Local Color Gallery for my opening this Friday. My whole "P is for Pears with Personality" series can be viewed on my website. Here is the LINK.

I have a newsletter that is almost ready to go out. If you have not signed up please do. Here is the Newsletter LINK

Monday, January 30, 2012

This is another one of my paintings in my water series. Early morning,
just a hint of sun on the horizon, watching the waves break....nothing but time
stretched out in front of you.... A little winter dreaming. Hope you have a
swell day!

"Big Sis, Little Sis"(4x4") - 201201Subscribe now to receive my newsletter, "Even More".Been so long since I last posted that I nearly forgot how to log in. Late last fall I went through a major guilt phase for abandoning my painting - once again; turning to the business of the midlife crisis. Or something there-abouts. Had lots of time to redefine and clarify what makes my life tick in ways that don't interfere with fate. Feeling great these days and much better balanced. Mom had a great experience back up in NY for 6 months and then decided, with our support, that she'd be best off here in Florida. So she returned 2 weeks ago. Last Wednesday marked the first anniversary of my dad's passing. Time has healed us a great deal, and we're able to talk often about what a joy he was without drowning in pools of our own tears, snot and drizzle.

As for my painting, I'm going to pick up where I left off last summer. Figures in stark sunlight, near the water, are still intriguing me and I feel there's more to do. To start off, I'm revisiting the roll of photos that I have from our summer vacation in NC. This scene is from the same swimming hole as in my last post, "Playing on the Rocks". I've dropped the frilly bells and whistles (no bows or petticoats...) and gone straight to the actual scene. Changed the color of the girls' bathing suits, but other than that, it's true to the times.

Contact me regarding purchase & commission requests.Unless otherwise noted, listed prices are offered to my subscribed blog members. If you are interested in purchasing a painting, but are not yet subscribed, simply enter your email address in the join box on my home page. As a subscriber you will receive special values on your purchases and periodic promotions will give you the opportunity to enjoy my paintings in real life at even more affordable prices!

I wanted this birch painting to be very colorful and whimsical, like through the eyes of a child looking into the treetops with fascination. I also like how sometimes the difference between realism and abstraction isn't that great at all, and in this case, by just inverting and adding tree trunks to Elizabeth Padgett's abstract painting, the result can become a realistic scene in "Passionate Embrace."

Please join Dallas artists, Niki Gulley and Elizabeth Padgett, for this Two Woman Show "Opposites Attract," featuring their paintings from two different perspectives – realism and abstraction. Artist Reception is Sun. Feb. 5 from 2 to 4 pm at the Jaycee Center for the Arts,
1975 Puritan Dr. between Story Rd. and MacArthur in Irving, TX. Exhibit runs Jan. 29 - Feb 23, 2012.

After the small pencil sketches and study I worked on in preparation for this piece, it was fun to finally work big. This is almost a life-sized figure. The challenge was to keep it loose and put in only the necessary detail for what I wanted this piece to say. The reference photos were taken by my daughter in a corner of my room where the light was perfect for my mood all last week - mostly thoughtful and sometimes sad. I can almost sense the melancholy of the moment in this painting. There is a beauty in quiet reflection.

I love to share my art and inspiration. ClickHERE to sign up for my email newsletter and receive a free gift of postcards.

Saturday, January 28, 2012

I spent the day in the studio painting and preparing canvases. I needed to record a video for my online workshop working on brushwork. I chose a photo to work from. I was drawn to the bright yellow trees in the wash with the contrast of the dark rocks behind them. I moved things around and changed colors a little. I wanted the light yellow/greens of the trees contrasting against the dark warm violets of the rocks. It was a fun painting to paint with the texture and colors. Rocks are always something that I enjoy painting.

Pear # 6 in my pear series is much less dramatic than it's predecessors, both in color and shape. Here we have the clean lines and distinct egg-like shape of an Anjou Pear. I am thrilled with the colors and lines on this little beauty and can't wait to frame it for hanging..

My whole "P is for Pears with Personality" series can be viewed on my website. Here is the LINK

"Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves." ~Albert Einstein

One from the vault- are you ready for Valentines Day? What a perfect way to say, "I love you" with art. I have a few select pieces that I will offer at a special price unframed for Valentines day, perfect for displaying on a small table-top easel. It is dry and ready to ship!

Friday, January 27, 2012

This little oil is part of a new Night series. Still wet but will be dry by next week with plenty of time to ship for Valentine's Day. A little bit of colorful romance.

As I get older and wiser, and more sentimental, I realize that finding a soul mate is a wonderful thing. I am so blessed because my husband of 28 years is my best friend and my joy. I think I paint many romance scenes like this around this time of year as an expression of that feeling, and I hope it spreads!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

This is a little plein air painting I did in Tucson last week at Sabino Canyon. It's amazing to set up my easel right beside of one of these giants and try to imagine getting the whole thing on a little panel. But, there he stands in all his glory!

This original modern oil has unique texture and layers of luminous oil color creating a 3 dimensional work of palette knife art. Vibrant, symbolic, and romantic, this piece makes a great addition to any fine art collection.

Valentine's Day is coming up soon. Still time to send the one you love a special gift of love!

"On my honor I will do my bestto do my duty to God and my countryand to obey the Scout Law;to help other people at all times;to keep myself physically strong,mentally awake, and morally straight." - Scout Oath, Boy Scouts of America

This has been quite a fun challenge for me. It's given me some insights into my husband, a cousin, and my father's scouting days. A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent....goes the Scout Law.

This young fellow pictured is the grandson of one of my collectors. At thirteen, he is one of the youngest in his region to earn both Eagle Scout and God & Church Awards. He is a fine young man, and has quite a wonderful future ahead of him! I am thrilled to have the opportunity to paint him.

For more information about this painting, or how to commission a painting, contact me here.

I starting painting this from a plein air painting that I had several months ago. I quickly blocked it in and did some work to it. I sent off the plein air painting called, The Source" oil 9x12", to the American Impressionist Society National Show. The painting sold right away. So, I no longer had my reference except for photos. I really wasn't happy with the work that I did to it before. Today, I finally got back to it and realized some of the problems that I had with the painting. Since it is a larger piece than the other one, I opened the sky a little on the left side. I also had grayed some of the colors too much. I lightened the trunks of the trees, put more light into the trees and made the colors much more vibrant. I went into the painting with much more gusto with the brush today.

Some days just feel more confident and ready to tackle anything. This was one of those days. It didn't take too long for me to get the painting on the right track. I also find that when I'm duplicating a painting, I need to put away the original one (in this case, the photo). It's important to look at the painting for itself. To do whatever that particular painting needs. Anyway, I feel much better about this now.
Yesterday, I just got the news that I am invited to the Grand Canyon Plein Air in Sept 2012. So far, that is three acceptances for the new year, the Outdoor Painters Society Member show in Dallas, Telluride Plein Air and now GC.

"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." -Albert Camus

Yesterday I mother nature provided exactly what I needed, a gorgeous sunny day mid-winter here in Connecticut. I'm sure it hit at least mid-forties. It truly felt like spring and of course I knew I'd take the opportunity to go outside and paint.

I kept my supplies small, so I could bring along the least amount of weight, and hopefully get a painting in quickly before the wind picked up and froze me out! This little 'thumb-box' pochade is something I found at the Utrecht Art Supply store a few years ago. I don't use it that often as the egdes that hold your panel in make it difficult to paint with a knife. So I figured, I'd use knife AND brush on this one. It holds a 6x8" panel, and the palette slides in & out to store a few small tubes of paint underneath as well as brushes (short ones!). Finding special plein air supplies can be such fun- and less calories than going through the candy store!

Here's a link to buy this pochade box at Utrecht, scroll down the page to "Utrecht Wooden Pochade Box w/ Shoulder Strap, Lightweight" they're asking $89.99 for it, but watch for some of their online coupons and specials.

I take this little box when I truly am interested in hiking out to a spot and don't want to lug much at all. I'll put that little box, along with 7 tubes of paint inside (a warm & cool of each primary + white)and brushes & painting knife too, inside a tote bag, with some paper towels, plastic bags for trash, small camera (or cell phone camera), 'hand-warmers', a pair of pliers, a 'bulldog' clip to hold the trash bag on to the tote (so it doesn't blow away). It's all pretty light to carry this tote bag on one shoulder, while the on the other side, I'm carrying a little 3-legged folding camp-stool to sit on to paint. Yes, normally I'm standing to paint, but for winter painting, I try to be as comfortable and warm as possible. I figure keeping a low profile will keep me out of the wind, or at least be less of a target!

The other handy thing to go with this little box, is short handled brushes. Now you can either just tote along your regular long handled brushes, or saw them off to fit in your box, ...or just get some short handled brushes that are made to fit into a small pochade. Judson's Art Outfitters carries some that I've been using for many years now (when I bring along the small box). They offer filberts and flats and mine have held up quite well over the years.

When mother nature provides the sunshine, it's up to me to show up! and just paint!!

For more info about this painting, or plein air supplies, or to purchase this painting, contact me here.

With the yucky winter weather lately, I've had to make the most of my time indoors in the studio. Today, I just finished a study that I completed in around 45 min. It was good to focus only on color and composition and forget about attending to details. It is a self portrait, so I've had to work from photos, but I can paint some of the scene from life as it is in my room by a north-facing window. The desk was the one I had growing up and although it is a traditional piece, it still has the psychedelic foil paper lining I used in the 70's. After I started working this morning, I realized I needed to add a brush. I've had to use my imagination to make this brush look old fashioned - check out what I used as a prop...

"Old Fashioned" Brush

I love to share my art and inspiration. ClickHERE to sign up for my email newsletter and receive a free gift of postcards.

Continuing with my pear in palette knife series. I am getting ready to do some serious framing of all my paintings for my upcoming show at the Local Color Gallery. Hope to see you at the First Friday Reception on February 3rd.

My whole "P is for Pears with Personality" series can be viewed on my website. Here is the LINK

TOGETHER FOREVER6x6 Oil on Raymar Canvas Panel

Available $100

Shown displayed on a small decorative easel

It's January 25th and we already have a Crocus in full bloom. I don't remember ever having them show up so early in the year. It's been a weird winter...

This palette knife painting has greys, blues, violets, reds and ochres bouncing around the white aspen trees. There is texture on this canvas because I used the palette knife and lots of paint. I am starting a new series at the studio, and with this downpour that we are having in Dallas, I will be held-up in the studio all day. Thanks for viewing...Kay

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

I had such a fun time painting out on location today. Not the typical pretty picture, but a painting of metal "junk". Or, as my friend Aryana says " Kit's Library of Visual Solutions". I went to my artist friends, Aryana and Kit's the morning to paint. They have so many interesting things on their property. I always enjoy the visual treat. I've even taken my friend Deb Groesser to their place to paint. We spent a day their. Previously, I've posted and painted their old jalopy truck "Giovanni". Kit is a metal sculptor and jeweler, thus his library of visual solutions.

Today I just got the news that I'm invited to the Grand Canyon Plein Air for Sep 2012. I'm very excited about how 2012 is shaping up.

"Artists who seek perfection in everything are those who cannot attain it in anything."

I believe this goes for many aspects of life. In painting, it took me many years to learn not to over work a piece. I like a loose, painterly look and so I don't "tighten" it all up but seek balance instead.

This bird is so inspiring! Bold, colorful and loud. I'm not really personally like this, but I like to think my work sings out very loud and clear!

This contemporary abstract aspen painting is signed and drying at the studio. I used wide brush strokes, the palette knife and lots of paint on the canvas. I have been busy shipping paintings to Stoneheart Gallerylocated in Evergreen, Colorado. I am thrilled that Julianne Miller will be carrying my aspen paintings in the gallery. Thanks for viewing, and have a great day. Kay

Monday, January 23, 2012

ARTISTS: Join me for a FREE Plein Air Workshop demonstration at the ocean THIS SATURDAY from 10:00 am to noon in Orange County, California. Paint along with me or simply take notes, shoot videos or photos, or just observe.

Everything is completely free; no strings attached. No catches.

Email me for full details about the location, driving directions, suggested supplies to bring if you plan to paint along with me, and more. tombrownstudio@cox.net

I’ll share everything I know to help other artists enjoy the same fun and excitement I do when painting in the great outdoors directly from nature.